GitⒶemendation Ⓐtextual note up! WhatⒶhistorical collation you ’bout!”Ⓐalteration in the MS
I opened my eyes and looked around, trying to make out where I was. It was after sun-up, and I hadⒶalteration in the MS been sound asleep. PapⒶemendation was standingⒶalteration in the MS over me, looking sour—and sick, too. He says—
“What you doin’Ⓐemendation with this gun?”
I judged he didn’tⒶemendation know nothing aboutⒶalteration in the MS what he hadⒶalteration in the MS been doing, so I says:
“Somebody tried to get in, so I was layingⒶalteration in the MS for him.”
“Why didn’t you roust me out?”
“Well I tried to, but I couldn’t; I couldn’t budge you.”
“Well, all right. Don’t stand there palavering all day, but out with you andⒶalteration in the MS see if there’s a fish on the linesⒶalteration in the MS for breakfast. I’ll be along in a minute.”
He unlocked the door and I cleared out, up the river bank. I noticed some pieces of limbs and such things floating down, and a sprinkling of bark; so I knowed the riverⒶalteration in the MS had begun to rise. I reckoned I would have great times, now, if I was over at the townⒶemendation. The June riseⒺexplanatory note used to be always luck for me; because as soon as thatⒶalteration in the MS rise begins, here comes cord-wood floating down, and pieces of log rafts—sometimes a dozen logs together; soⒶemendation all you haveⒶalteration in the MS to do is to catch them and sell them to the wood yards and the sawmill.
I went along up the bank with one eye out for papⒶemendation and t’otherⒶemendation one out for what the rise might fetch along. WellⒶhistorical collation all at once, here comes a canoe; just a beauty, too, about thirteen or fourteenⒶalteration in the MS foot long, riding high like a duck. I shot head first off of the bank, like a frog, clothes and all on, and struck out for the canoe. I just expectedⒶalteration in the MS [begin page 38] there’d be somebody laying down in it, because people often done that to fool folks, and when a chap had pulled a skiff out most to it they’d raise up and laugh at him. But it warn’t so this time. It was a drift-canoe, sure enough, and I clumb in and paddled her ashore. Thinks I, the old man will be gladⒶalteration in the MS when he sees this—she’s worth tenⒶemendation dollars. But when I got to shore papⒶemendation wasn’t in sight yet, and as I was running her into a little creek like a gully, all hung over with vines and willows,Ⓐalteration in the MS I struck another idea; I judged I’d hide her good, and then, ’steadⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation of taking to the woods when I run off, I’d go down the river about fifty mile and camp in one place for good, and not have such a rough time tramping on foot.
It was pretty close to the shanty, and I thought I heard the old man comingⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation all the time; but I got her hidⒶhistorical collation and then IⒶemendation outⒶalteration in the MS and looked around a bunch of willows;Ⓐhistorical collation and there was the old man down the path apieceⒶalteration in the MS just drawing a bead on a bird with his gun. So he hadn’t seen anything.Ⓐalteration in the MS
When he got alongⒶhistorical collation I was hard at it taking up a trot-lineⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation. He abusedⒶalteration in the MS me a little for being so slow, but I told him I fell in the river and that was what made me so long. I knowed he wouldⒶalteration in the MS see I was wet, and then he wouldⒶalteration in the MS be asking questions. We got five cat-fish off of the lines and went home.
[begin page 39] While we laid off, after breakfast,Ⓐalteration in the MS to sleep up, both of us being aboutⒶalteration in the MS wore out, I got to thinking that if I could fix up some way to keep papⒶemendation and the widow from trying to follow me, it would be a certainerⒶalteration in the MS thing than trusting to luck to get far enough off before they missed me; youⒶalteration in the MS see, all kinds of things might happen. Well, I didn’t see no way for a while, but by and byⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation papⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation raised up,Ⓐhistorical collation a minute, to drink another barrel of water,Ⓐalteration in the MS and he says:
“Another time a man comes a-prowling round here, you roust me out, you hear? That man warn’t here for no good. I’d a shot him. Next time, you roust me out, you hear?”
Then he droppedⒶalteration in the MS down and went to sleep again—but what he hadⒶalteration in the MS been saying give me the very idea I wanted. I says to myself, I can fix it now so nobody won’t think of following me.
About twelve o’clock we turnedⒶalteration in the MS out andⒶalteration in the MS went along up the bank. The river was comingⒶalteration in the MS up pretty fast, and lots of drift-wood going by on the rise. By and byⒶhistorical collation, along comes part of a log raft—nine logs fast together. We wentⒶalteration in the MS out with the skiff and towed it ashore. Then we had dinner. Anybody but papⒶemendation would a waited and seen the dayⒶemendation through, so as to catch moreⒶemendation stuff; but that warn’t pap’sⒶemendation style. Nine logs was enough for one time; he must shove right over to town and sell. So he locked me in and took the skiff and started off towing the raft about half pastⒶhistorical collation three. I judged heⒶalteration in the MS wouldn’t come back that night. I waited till I reckoned he had got a good start, thenⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation I out with my saw and went to work on that log again. Before he was t’otherⒶemendation side of the river I was out of the hole; him and his raft was just a speck on the water away off yonder.
I took the sack of corn meal and took itⒶemendation to where the canoe was hid,Ⓐalteration in the MS and shoved the vines and branches apart and put it in; then I done the same with the side of bacon; then the whisky jug;Ⓐalteration in the MS I took all the coffee and sugar there was, and all the ammunition; I took the wadding; I took the bucket and gourdⒶalteration in the MS, I took a dipper and a tin cup, and my old saw,Ⓐhistorical collation and two blankets,Ⓐalteration in the MS and the skillet and the coffee potⒶhistorical collation. I took fish linesⒶhistorical collation and matchesⒺexplanatory note andⒶalteration in the MS other things—everything that was worth a cent. I cleaned out the place. I wanted an axⒶhistorical collation, but there wasn’tⒶemendation any,Ⓐalteration in the MS only the one outⒶalteration in the MS at the wood pile, and I knowed why I was going to leave that. I fetched out the gun, and now I was done.
I had wore the ground a good dealⒶhistorical collation crawling out of the hole and dragging out so many things. So I fixed that as good as I could from [begin page 40] the outside by scattering dust on the place, which covered up the smoothness and the sawdust. Then I fixed the piece of log back into its placeⒶhistorical collation and put two rocks under it and one against it to hold it there,—for it was bent up,Ⓐhistorical collation at that place, and didn’t quite touch ground.Ⓐalteration in the MS If you stood four or five foot away and didn’t know it was sawed, you wouldn’t ever notice it; and besides, this was the back of the cabin and it warn’t likely anybody would go fooling around there.
It was all grass,Ⓐhistorical collation clear to the canoe; so I hadn’t left a track. I followed around to see. I stood on the bank and looked out over the river. All safe. So I took the gun and went up a piece into the woods and was hunting around for some birds, when I see a wild pig; hogs soon went wild in them bottoms after they hadⒶalteration in the MS got away from the prairie farms. I shot this fellow and took him into camp.
I took the axⒶhistorical collation and smashed in the door—I beat it and hacked it considerable, a-doing it. I fetched the pigⒶalteration in the MS in and took him back nearly to the table and hackedⒶalteration in the MS into his throat with the ax, and laid him down on the ground to bleed—I say ground, because it was ground—hard packed, and no boards. Well, next I took an old sack and put a lotⒶalteration in the MS of bigⒶalteration in the MS rocks in it,—all I could drag—and I started it from the pig and dragged it to the door and through the woodsⒶalteration in the MS down [begin page 41] to the river and dumped it in, and down it sunk, out of sight. You could easy see that something had been dragged over the groundⒶemendation. I did wish Tom Sawyer was there, I knowed he would take an interest in this kind of businessⒶalteration in the MS, and throwⒶalteration in the MS in the fancy touches. Nobody could spread himself like Tom Sawyer in such a thing as that.
WellⒶalteration in the MS, last I pulled out some of my hair, and bloodied the ax goodⒶhistorical collation and stuck it on the back side, and slung the ax in the corner. Then I took up the pig and held him to my breast with my jacket (so he couldn’t drip,)Ⓐhistorical collation Ⓐalteration in the MS till I got a good piece below the house and then dumped him into the river. Now I thought of something else. So I went and got the bag of meal and my old saw out of the canoe and fetched them to the house. I took the bag to where it used to standⒶhistorical collation and ripped a hole in the bottom of it with the sawⒶhistorical collation, for there warn’t no knives and forks on the place—pap done everything with his clasp-knifeⒶalteration in the MS, aboutⒶalteration in the MS the cooking. Then I carried the sack about a hundred yards across the grass and through the willows east of the house, to a shallow lake that was five mile wide and full of rushes—and ducks too, you might say, in the season. There was a slough or a creek leading out of it on the other side, that went miles away, I don’t know where, but it didn’t go to the river. The meal sifted out and made a little track all the way toⒶalteration in the MS the lake. I dropped pap’sⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation whetstone there,Ⓐhistorical collation too, so as to look likeⒶemendation it had been done by accident. Then I tied up the rip in the meal sack with a string, so it wouldn’t leak no more, and took it and my saw to the canoe again.
It was about dark, now; so I dropped the canoe down the riverⒶalteration in the MS under some willows that hung over the bankⒶalteration in the MS,Ⓐemendation and waited for the moon to rise. I made fast to a willow;Ⓐalteration in the MS then I took a bite to eat,Ⓐalteration in the MS and by and byⒶhistorical collation laid down in the canoe to smoke a pipe and lay out a plan. I says to myself, they’ll follow the track of that sackful of rocks to the shore and then drag the river for me. And they’ll follow that meal track to the lake and go browsing down the creek that leads out of it to find the robbers that killed me and took the things. They won’t ever hunt the river for anything but my dead carcass. They’ll soon get tired of that, and won’t bother no more about me. All right; I can stop anywhere I want to. Jackson’s IslandⒺexplanatory note isⒶalteration in the MS good enough for me; I know that island pretty well, and nobody ever comes there. And then I can paddle over to town, nights, and slink around and pick up things I want. Jackson’sⒶalteration in the MS Island’s the place.
[begin page 42] I was pretty tired, and the first thing I knowed, I was asleep. When I woke up I didn’t know where I was, for a minute. I set up and looked around, a littleⒶalteration in the MS scared. Then I remembered. The river looked miles and miles across. The moon was so bright I could a counted the drift logs that went a-slippingⒶemendation along, black and still, hundredsⒶhistorical collation of yards out from shore. Everything was dead quiet, and it looked late, and smelt late. You know what I mean—I don’t know the words to put it in.
I took a good gapⒶemendation and a stretchⒶhistorical collation and was just goingⒶalteration in the MS to unhitch and startⒶhistorical collation when I heard a sound away over the water. I listened. PrettyⒶemendation soon I made it out. It was that dull kind of a regularⒶemendation sound that comes from oars working in rowlocksⒶalteration in the MS when it’s a still night. I peeped out through the willow branches, and there it was—a skiff, away across the water. I couldn’t tell how many was in it. It kept a-comingⒶemendation, and when it was abreast of me I see there warn’t but one man in it. Thinks I, maybe it’s papⒶemendation, though I warn’t expecting him. He dropped below me, with the current, and by and byⒶhistorical collation he come a-swinging up shore in the easy waterⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation and heⒶalteration in the MS went by so close I could a reached out the gun and touched him. Well, it was papⒶemendation, sure enough—and sober, too, by the way he laid to his oars.
IⒶemendation didn’tⒶalteration in the MS lose no time. The next minute I was a-spinningⒶemendation down stream,Ⓐhistorical collation soft but quick,Ⓐhistorical collation in the shade of the bank.Ⓐalteration in the MS I made two mile and a halfⒶhistorical collation and then struck out a quarter of a mile or more towardsⒶemendation the middle of the river, because pretty soon I would be passing the ferry landing and peopleⒶemendation might see me and hail me. I got out amongst the drift woodⒶhistorical collation and then laid down in the bottom of the canoe and let her float. I laid there and had a good rest and a smoke out of my pipe, lookingⒶalteration in the MS awayⒶemendation into the sky, not a cloud in it. The sky looks ever soⒶalteration in the MS deep when you lay down on your back in the moonshineⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation; I never knowed it before. AndⒶemendation how far a body can hear on the water such nights!Ⓐemendation I heard people talking at the ferry landing. I heard what they said, too, every word of it. One man said it was gettingⒶalteration in the MS towards the long days and the shortⒶemendation nights, now. T’otherⒶemendation one said this warn’t one of the short ones,Ⓐalteration in the MS he reckoned—and then they laughed, and he said it over again and theyⒶalteration in the MS laughed again; then they waked up another fellow and told him, and laughed, but heⒶemendation didn’t laugh;Ⓐalteration in the MS he ripped out something brisk and said letⒶhistorical collation him alone. The first fellow said he ’lowedⒶalteration in the MS to tell it to his old woman—she would [begin page 43] think it was pretty good; but he said that warn’t nothingⒶemendation to some things he hadⒶemendation said in his time. I heard one man say it was nearly three o’clockⒶhistorical collation and he hoped daylight wouldn’t wait more thanⒶalteration in the MS about a week longer. After thatⒶhistorical collation the talk got further and further awayⒶhistorical collation and I couldn’tⒶalteration in the MS make out the words any moreⒶhistorical collation but I could hear the mumble; and now and then a laugh, too, but it seemed a long ways off.
I was away below the ferry now. I rose up and there was Jackson’s Island, about two mile and a half down stream, heavy-timberedⒶemendation and standing up out of the middle of the river, big and dark and solidⒶemendation, like a steamboat without any lights. There warn’t any signsⒶemendation of the bar at the head—it was all under water, now.
It didn’t take me long to get there. I shotⒶalteration in the MS past the head at a ripping rate, the current was so swift, and then I got into the dead water and landed on the side towards the Illinois shore. I run the canoe into a deep dent in the bank that I knowed about; I hadⒶalteration in the MS to part the willow branches to get in; andⒶalteration in the MS when I made fast nobody could a seen the canoe from the outside.
I went up and set down on a log at the head of the island and looked out on the big river and the black drift woodⒶhistorical collation, and away over to the townⒶemendation, three mile away, where there was three or four lights [begin page 44] twinklingⒶalteration in the MS. A monstrous big lumber-raftⒶemendation was about a mile up stream, coming along down, with a lantern in the middle of it. I watched it come creepingⒶalteration in the MS down, and when it was most abreast of where I stood I heard a man say, “Stern oarsⒶemendation, there!—heaveⒶemendation her head to stabboard!Ⓐemendation” I heard that just as plain as if the man was by my side.Ⓐalteration in the MS
There wasⒶemendation a little gray in the sky, now; so I stepped into the woods and laid down for a nap before breakfast.